A Raleigh hearing turned into a viral moment after Mecklenburg Sheriff Garry McFadden struggled to explain what branch of government his office operates under — and now critics are calling it a red flag.
RALEIGH, N.C. – Oh it got AWKWARD in Raleigh. Garry McFadden, the sheriff of Mecklenburg County, is going viral — and not for locking anybody up.
He’s trending because during a heated legislative hearing, he could not answer what branch of government he operates under. On Monday, McFadden appeared before the House Oversight and Reform Committee to answer questions about crime, leadership, and how he’s running one of North Carolina’s largest sheriff’s offices.
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Then Republican State Rep. Allen Chesser asked him a simple, direct question:
“What branch of government do you operate under?”
Instead of saying “executive branch,” McFadden responded vaguely about “Mecklenburg County.”
The lawmaker pressed further.
“How many branches of government are there?”
McFadden admitted he didn’t know.
After legislators spelled it out — legislative, executive, and judicial — McFadden then said he believed he was part of the judicial branch.
For clarity. Sheriffs enforce laws. That’s executive branch business.
Video of the exchange spread fast.
Mecklenburg Sheriff Garry McFadden
McFadden — a Democrat and the first Black sheriff of Mecklenburg County — is currently up for reelection and facing challengers in the Democratic primary.
2 thoughts on “Mecklenburg Sheriff Garry McFadden Unable to Identify Branch of Government at Hearing”
Embarrassing for the city of Charlotte,their employees and the citizens but then look at the city council members who have been arrested lately. What is going on in the Queen city? Time to flush and clean the toilet!!!!!
That was rge worst display of ignorance I have ever seen by a public official on that level. He is being sued (21 deaths on his watch, 21), over half of his deputies are gone, from 1500 to a lowly 700 due to terrible morale. He does not know rge 3 branches of govt and does not know which one he works under or in. He appears to be rge worst sheriff ever elected. He should be done, I’m embarrassed over this